Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-03-11
rnE H0Ny or AIRANaARO0.

at can't be-no it couldn't be-for him
to die :"
He was all alone in the hut. He sat on a
packing case staring into the fire, his elbows
ON his knees and his head ON his hands,
talking to himself, rs solitary men will.
There was gloomy, helpless perpleXity in
his look. a. he thrust the burning brand,
together with the toe of his boot, and nut
tered over and over again Boss dyin '--
no, no
\ stray stock rider had passed 10y that
afternoon, ON his way to distant station,
and brought the news from Barangaroo.
1t was Murdoch of observation-disclosures
Murdoch, who lay dying slowly dying in
torture helplessly crushed and mangled by
"A falling tree, as he was overseeing some
timber cutting in the bush. The man whose
gay fea1lessness was the wonder of the colo
ny-who had ridden unframed time after
time through the very jaws of death-the
reckless, weyward, fantastic soul, to whom
mortal danger was as "A familiar friend
whom every one loved and laughed at-sp
full of life, and JOY in life Why, the very
thought of his dying was impossible, and in
ruugruOu,-at least II seemed as If the only
fitting close tu such a career would be
swift sudden ,truke-to Ice snatched away
in a moment. with the laughing light still
in his eyes and the last snatch of song
still lingering un his lip 1t seemed unnat-
ural. horrible, for LcunuN Murdoch, Of all
men. to DE lying ON his ha, k in the darkened
room. with closed eyes. and drawn, white
lips So thought his overseer, who had car
ried him up stairs in his arms and laid him
teuderly down on the bed he would never
leave agam--feellng all the time, grave,
quiet Scotsman as he was, as If his own
heart would break. So thought-though
they could not perhaps have put II into
words-the men who hung gloomily about
the doors, or lstlc,sly went through with
their work silently, or speaking in hushe,l
voices To- each other There might have
! been better men--there certainly We're
many far more judicious and with better
regulated minds whereas the censurious
might have said that Lennox Murdoch
mind was not regulated at all but there
was not a shepherd, or hut keeper. or hand
| Of any sort on the station that would not
have given anything to have Murdoch
round again in good tearin' temper. as
one of them said. No. they would never
hear his wrathful hnrrangues or his reck
less chat again.
And this man who now sat over the fire,
this great back-bearded, half savage,
heather Englishman, had heard the news
with stolid apathy, and scarcely said II
word Perhaps the idea took IA long time n
reach that slow moving brain of his. After
the stranger had gone he slung the billy
and set the tea to boil, and got all things
ready as usual for his mates when they
should return and then he settled down t.
his bruodng watch over the fire, muttering
| broken words to himself.
He was not II man of many deas-that
was apparent at the first glance Probably
he had not started in life with an excessive
amount. and his experience as an ordinary
seaman on board various small merchant
vessels, and later as IA convict in Sydney
had not tended to increase or elevate hi,
stock But once he had acquired notioI
of any sort, he chung to it, or it to him
with the tenacity of the mpet on the rock
/ do not think he remembered himself
what ottense he had been transported for
Perhaps many wears of solitary bush lif,
had affected his memory, AMI its duh uni
formity deadened the past into one blurre,
haze Like that of the savage. his min,
did not look after nor very far before ; ye
utterly inactive it was not He did thinl
and reason in his slow, logged fashion. He
was not cunning, nor naturally cruel
though his ship and prison life had gener
ated in him u dull hrooding ferocity tina
sometimes came to light in outbreaks o
fury.
And the highest idea his mind was capa
BILE Of conceiying Was embodied in tn
words, Murdoch of Barangaroo.
This is how it came.
He had gradually become possessed of
vague belief that it was the destiny an,
normal condition of man to he sworn at
cuffed, kicked, and generally considered
l. fe
able to swear at others in his turn, and ac
quiesced therein in his dull, passive way
And 50, when his time was out and he Sc
forth ON his aimless wanderngs, lac drifte
out to Barangaroo Station, with convic
written ON every line of his slouching iigur
and sulen face. And it came To pass, ON
hot December morning that he stopped list
, lessly by the door of Murdoch's sheaIin
shed. and saw a man ride by at a tearin
gallop, ON "A magnificent black horse-a ma
in a scarlet shirt, with a curly head and
twinkling eve, who suddenly refined uI
stopped short and shouted
"Hallo, old cock have You any particu
lar engagement = And while Bill Adamso
was slowly trying to evolve an answer, h
was surprised by another question;
- ''Can you shear sheep without cuttin
him all to pieces y
= Adamson fixed his eyes on the frank
kindly face that looked down at him, an
gradually finding his voice said
II don't know, but I'll try
Come on, then - said Murdoch, as i
: sprang down and hitched his horse TO
post But before he had gone three stel
he turned and leaned against the wall wit
: his hand against his side, shaking wit
j laughter.
, You're a rum customer, You are NOu'N
: never asked me what you're TO get !"
The man dropped his head, and kicke
| nervously at a stone ON the ground The
, he muttered, without looking at Murdoch
. you never asked me-where | con
from"
, And Murdoch understood There was
: curious twist of perversity in his nature
or some of his friends 50 called it. Civilize
and respectable citizens he would treat vii
, the sublnnest audacity OF dsdain it was
!. common saying about him that he fearC
, nothing and respected nobody But for on
: casts and disreputable characters of an
a sort he had quick, instructive sympath
= 1t did not take much penetration to que
a the history of the man before him, and fC
4 lowing the impulse of the moment he d
a the very thing TO bind that man to him f.
life
= All ilSnl, lllen Is u u bhlSdlh Dhhi
hands ON it ~
So they shook hands, and Bill AdaInsC
II was installed among the shearers and afte
: ward, when that nomad tribe scatter'
/ away east and west, 10 pastures new, he +
& NAMED ON as one of the Barangaroo she
u herds-a queer, silent, solitary man, wi
% worked for three, seldom spoke, and new
IS smiled, except when Murdoch spoke to hin
u He liked the lonely life at the hut ON Strinl
% Bark Hill where few men We're willing
=: stay among the other hands ON the static
u he was moody, sullen, and difficult y b
II the two men who shared the hut with hi
Y found him well enough 10 get on with
II YOU let him alone The months went o
u one day exactly like another, till they add
= up into years, and it seemed to him that
le had lived there all his life. Murdoch cai
5 up sometimes he always when he cou
" went out to the huts himself with the |
e tons instead Of sending the overseer
now and then he would pass by casual
y when out shooting, and sit over u pipe
y fore Adamson's fire talking to him in I'll
e. frank, trustful, kindly, way of his, viii
won the hearts of black and white ALL
1t was at such times as these that he {
all Bills history from him, bit by bit, IA
y deepened into dumb, dog like worship
mans first vague admiration. | do /